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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23253754">No Man's Land</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wocket/pseuds/wocket'>wocket</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Real Person Fiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Break Up, Cabin Fic, Camping, Car Sex, Christmas, F/M, Family, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Jealousy, Kid Fic, M/M, Marathon Sex, Masturbation, Multi, Oral Sex, Pining, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Polyamory, Rain, Recreational Drug Use, Road Trips, Shotgunning, Spanking, Threesome, Tree Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy, Walking In On Someone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:33:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,932</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23253754</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wocket/pseuds/wocket</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike and Tim have a little fun on a camping trip, then come home to Lori for even more fun. It all spirals out of control.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mike Fortier/Lori Fortier, Tim McVeigh/Lori Fortier, Tim McVeigh/Mike Fortier, Tim McVeigh/Mike Fortier/Lori Fortier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Forget the Sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s the last night of Tim and Mike’s road trip. Mike can’t join Tim on all his travels, but when he can, they have a hell of a time.</p><p>Tim’s too much of a control freak to let Mike choose any of the places they stop for the night, so Tim picks every campsite. Tonight’s campsite is just off a river in a shady grove of trees, a relaxing scene, perfect for a much needed breath of fresh air.</p><p>No stranger to living out of his car, Tim owns all sorts of camping gear, including a tent big enough to hold his long body. It was meant for more people than two, but held Tim and Mike comfortably with a little extra room.</p><p>“You should have brought the folding chairs,” Tim accuses. Mike had brought a giant blanket instead, setting it out in front of the tent in view of the river.</p><p>“Relax, McVeigh.”</p><p>“At least you took care of dinner.”</p><p>“Try being grateful for once.”</p><p>“Thank you, Mike.”</p><p>“You’re welcome, you asshat.”</p><p>“Did you get dessert?”</p><p>“For me.”</p><p>Tim gives Mike a playful shove. He returns to his Spectrum to grab the food. There’s a few bags with Subway sandwiches in the front seat. Tim spies a bag with chocolate chip cookies on the dashboard and grabs those, too. He carries them a few feet over to their campsite and sits down on the blanket next to Mike. </p><p>“Bon appetit,” Mike says warmly, snatching his Italian club from Tim.</p><p>“I’m glad you came with me.”</p><p>“It’s always a good time, Tim."</p><p>“That’s what I’ve been telling you.”</p><p>Mike bumps his shoulder against Tim’s and rolls his eyes.</p><p>“You’ll be a pro at the whole gun show thing in no time,” Tim assures him. Mike had done a good job, but hadn’t made nearly as many sales as Tim.</p><p>“I still don’t understand how you do so well,” Mike admits. </p><p>“You just have to figure people out, that’s all,” Tim tells him. “Next time, wear camo. And shave your goatee,” Tim says, reaching up and using his thumb to wipe away a droplet of sauce from Mike’s chin.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah.”</p><p>Tim cleans up their trash as they go, collecting wrappers and stuffing them into plastic bags.</p><p>Tim toes his shoes off after they eat. He settles back on his elbows casually, watching the water babbling in the brook.</p><p>Mike watches him with a smile. “I have to give it to you, Tim, this is kind of nice.”</p><p>“See? You should trust me more often.”</p><p>“Who knows where that would lead.”</p><p>Tim shakes his head.</p><p>Mike lies back, looking up at the canopy of trees. It’s peaceful until a drop of water splashes onto his face.</p><p>“Oh no,” he says, touching his cheek. “You feel that?”</p><p>Tim holds his hand out, waits until he feels water hit his palm. One drop, then another. “Shit.” He scrambles up and reaches for Mike’s hand, helping him stand up in the grass. The rain starts falling faster and harder, coming down in sheets. “Come on!” </p><p>Mike grabs the blanket and follows Tim into the tent, tripping over the zippered entrance. </p><p>Tim unrolls a sleeping bag on the floor of the tent, giving them a slightly cushioned spot to sit out the rain as it beats a steady pitter-patter above them, dripping down the sides of the tent..</p><p>“So much for the view,” Mike sighs.</p><p>“Did you bring the weed, at least?” Tim asks.</p><p>Mike reaches into his pocket and pulls out a glass pipe and a baggie of weed. “Of course.”</p><p>Mike packs a bowl and takes the first hit, tugging on Tim’s sleeve with his mouth still full of smoke. Tim leans in, knowing what he wants, and lets Mike press his mouth to his own and blow smoke inside.</p><p>Tim’s cheeks are pink when Mike pulls away. He always looks a little scandalized when they shotgun but it makes the weed last twice as long.</p><p>Mike passes Tim the pipe. He lights the bowl and inhales, choking on the smoke.</p><p>Tim shivers. He’s so skinny, the wind chill must cut straight to his bones.</p><p>Mike moves closer and wraps the blanket around their shoulders. </p><p>“It’s kind of nice,” Mike decides. </p><p>“Speak for yourself. I hope my tent holds up,” Tim tells him, worried.</p><p>“What are we supposed to do in the meantime?”</p><p>Tim wiggles his eyebrows, putting his hand on Mike’s knee. “I’ve got a couple of ideas.”</p><p>Mike pulls Tim into a kiss. “Was this all part of your master plan?”</p><p>“Nope,” Tim murmurs again Mike’s mouth. “Just making the best of the time we have.”</p><p>They make out for a while, the sound of the rain underscoring their movements. Despite Tim’s size, Mike physically moves him closer, his hands wandering all over Tim. </p><p>Tim bears Mike down on the floor of the tent, straddling his hips. He kisses Mike a few times before Mike tugs on his shirtsleeve.</p><p>“It’s really coming down,” Mike says nervously, looking at the top of the tent. The fabric is shaking in the wind. He links his fingers with Tim’s.</p><p>“Fuck,” Tim curses, when he realizes water is leaking through the top of the tent.</p><p>They wait a minute or two, trying to move out of the way, finding it futile. As the storm intensifies, the wind picks up, whipping the fabric of the tent back and forth.</p><p>“Let’s wait in the car,” Mike suggests. They start picking up pillows and gathering as much as they can carry. “What about the tent?” Mike asks, shouting over the rain.</p><p>“Leave the tent. We’ll grab it in the morning,” Tim decides.</p><p>“If it doesn’t blow away...”</p><p>“Come on!” Tim and Mike run back to the car. Tim unlocks the backseat and they crawl in, one after another.</p><p>Tim digs up a flannel he abandoned in his backseat and dries off his arms and face, doing the same for Mike.</p><p>“We might be here for a while.”</p><p>The rain beats down heavily on the top of the car.</p><p>Tim sighs.</p><p>Tim looks at their hands, resting a few inches from one another in the backseat. He slides his hand closer, wraps his pinky finger around Mike’s. It’s a high school move. </p><p>“Really?” Mike asks incredulously.</p><p>Tim starts to move his hand away. Mike catches it.</p><p>“You want to pick up where we left off?” Mike offers.</p><p>“Yeah,” Tim agrees. “I do.”</p><p>Mike takes Tim’s cheek in his broad palm, and kisses him.</p><p>Tim tries to move closer, but his long legs make it hard to get close to Mike in the cramped backseat. </p><p>“Giraffe,” Mike mocks playfully. </p><p>“The tent was bad enough,” Tim complains. “I barely fit back here.”</p><p>Mike reaches for Tim’s hips and pulls him closer.</p><p>“Mike,” Tim laughs. It’s an awkward fit. </p><p>“We better make it work,” Mike warns. “It’s going to rain all night.”</p><p>They find a position that’s sufficient for the time being, making out like teenagers in the backseat of the car. </p><p>Tim reaches for Mike’s hard-on, rubbing him slowly over his pants. He flicks the button on Mike’s jeans open and reaches inside, pulling Mike out, rubbing his thumb over the head of his dick. He jerks Mike off slowly, a messy handjob, working his fist over Mike’s erection. Tim recognizes the little gasps Mike is making when he gets close, and realizes they don’t have any way to clean up.</p><p>“This is going to be a mess,” Tim complains, right when things are feeling so good Mike thinks he’s about to lose it.</p><p>“Hm,” comes the disappointed noise when Tim stops touching him.</p><p>Tim pushes Mike back until he’s leaning up against the car door. Mike grabs the handle above the window as Tim crowds over him, offering up a crooked smile before bending over and taking Mike in his mouth.</p><p>“Oh, fuck,” Mike curses, grabbing Tim’s shoulder. “You’re — fuck, Tim, how are you so good at this?”</p><p>Tim flexes his throat, takes Mike deeper. He never does anything half-assed.</p><p>Mike tries not to thrust up into Tim’s mouth, closing his eyes and sucking in shaky breaths. “Damn.”</p><p>Tim presses his thumbs against Mike’s hipbones. Tim licks and sucks, hollowing his mouth around Mike’s cock. He lavishes him with attention, working his lips and teeth and tongue to drive Mike crazy. </p><p>The sound of the rain pelting against the windows disguises the moans Mike makes as Tim pushes him to the edge. Tim swallows Mike’s come with a smirk. </p><p>“Happy you came with me now?”</p><p>Mike grins. Their knees bump as he sits up.</p><p>“Yeah, you smug motherfucker,” Mike says, tipping Tim’s chin up with his index finger. He kisses his best friend.</p><p>Mike wraps his arms around Tim’s front, hugging him to his chest. They finally settle, Tim lying in between Mike’s legs as he leans back against the car, stuffing a pillow between his back and the door. The two full-grown men barely fit in the cramped backseat. It’s not perfect but it’ll do. It’s their only option, unless they want to get soaked.</p><p>The rain keeps beating a steady tattoo against the top of Tim’s car. It’s impossible to see out the windows.</p><p>Mike sighs and tucks his face into Tim’s cropped hair.</p><p>“Next time we’re getting a motel.”</p><p>“Next time, huh?” Tim jokes, squeezing Mike’s knee, pleased there’d be another road trip to look forward to.</p><p>“What, you’re not going to make me do another one of these crazy trips?”</p><p>“It was supposed to be nice out tonight,” Tim says apologetically.</p><p>“Don’t sweat it,” Mike tells him, and they watch the raindrops streak across the window until the sound lulls them to sleep.</p><p>*</p><p>In the morning, both of them wake with stiff backs. </p><p>Tim extricates himself from Mike, trying to stretch his long limbs out in the back of the car and failing, mostly.</p><p>“Wakey wakey,” Tim calls to Mike in a sing-song voice.</p><p>Mike groans, covering his face.</p><p>Tim reaches for Mike’s thigh and <i>squeezes</i>.</p><p>“Fortier,” he says sharply. “Help me pull down the tent.”</p><p>“Do it yourself,” Mike mutters, eyes still closed.</p><p>Tim presses his cold fingers underneath Mike’s t-shirt, just above the waistline of his jeans. </p><p>“Hey!” Mike shrieks, sitting up. “Asshole.” He rubs his eyes.</p><p>“Help me out. Then you can go back to sleep. I’ll drive.”</p><p>“You always drive,” Mike mutters.</p><p>Tim reaches behind Mike to push open the door and Mike almost falls out of the car. </p><p>“It’ll take five minutes, Sleeping Beauty,” Tim grins.</p><p>Tim ducks into the tent to grab the rest of their supplies while Mike starts kicking the tent stakes out of the dirt with his foot. Less than thrilled, he helps Tim pull out the tent poles and roll up the tent, bending over to load everything into the back of his car.</p><p>“Look alive,” Tim jokes, slapping Mike’s ass.</p><p>Mike slams the trunk shut and he climbs into the passenger seat.</p><p>Tim looks over the campsite one last time and then takes his usual place in the driver’s seat. “You ready?”</p><p>Mike has stolen and donned Tim’s sunglasses, leaning his head against the window. He’s practically asleep again.</p><p>“You’re precious,” Tim snarks. </p><p>Mike flips him the bird.</p><p>“Okay, okay. Homeward bound.” Tim starts the car and settles in for the four-hour drive. He sticks a Pink Floyd cassette tape in the stereo. “Money” starts playing, and Tim sets the volume low enough where it won’t disturb Mike.</p><p>Tim loves driving, can go for miles on end without stopping or thinking twice. It’s totally in his comfort zone.</p><p>He gets on the highway to track down some breakfast, stopping at a drive-thru for a Dunkin' Donuts coffee and a muffin. He orders a coffee and a donut for Mike, too, just in case he wakes up. </p><p>Tim takes back roads the rest of the way to Kingman.</p><p>Mike wakes up about an hour later, sitting up and pulling Tim’s sunglasses from his face. He hands them back to his friend. Tim slips them on without a word. </p><p>“Is this for me?” Mike asks, pointing to the second coffee.</p><p>“You bet.”</p><p>“How long was I out?”</p><p>“Three hours, maybe.”</p><p>“What? Really?” Mike looks at his watch.</p><p>“Nope,” Tim grins. </p><p>“Jerk. How long, though?”</p><p>“I don’t know. An hour or two, I guess,” Tim says, checking the car stereo. “We’ve still got a ways to go.”</p><p>Mike starts investigating the paper bag from Dunkin' Donuts, finding the breakfast Tim put away for him. He’s pleased to find a chocolate glazed donut.</p><p>“Fuck, I love you,” Mike grins before biting into the donut.</p><p>Tim’s eyes dart to the side, sneaking a glance at Mike before looking back at the road. </p><p>Satisfied look on his face, Tim cranks up the radio and they sing along, the two hour’s drive back to Kingman not feeling very long at all. </p><p>*</p><p>“Hello, boys,” Lori greets the two friends at the front door of the Fortier trailer in Kingman. “Welcome back.” She takes Mike’s cheeks in her hands and kisses him.</p><p>Mike puts his hands on her hips. “I think Tim deserves a warm welcome, too, doesn’t he?” Mike suggests.</p><p>Lori smiles and turns in Mike’s arms, standing on her tiptoes to give Tim a kiss.</p><p>“Are you staying tonight, Tim?” Lori asks.</p><p>Tim nods, his cheeks pink.</p><p>“Come on, then.”</p><p>Mike bumps his bag against Tim’s ass. “You heard the woman.”</p><p>Lori offers them cold beers and reheated leftovers, but the two men can barely hold their heads up. </p><p>“You look beat,” she comments. “Tim, what’d you do to my poor boyfriend?”</p><p>Tim shrugs and picks at the label on his beer bottle.</p><p>Mike yawns. “I think I’m going to take a nap.” He drains his beer and sets the bottle back on the table. Standing up, he holds his hand out for Tim, who takes it and lets Mike pull him up and into the bedroom. </p><p>*</p><p>An hour or two later, a light in the bedroom rouses the the two men from their nap.</p><p>“You two finally awake?” Lori asks.</p><p>“What time is it?” Tim yawns.</p><p>"Maybe seven thirty.”</p><p>Mike curls up to Tim’s back, pressing his face into Tim’s shoulder. “M’sleeping.”</p><p>Tim looks at Lori helplessly. </p><p>“Well, you got enough room for me?” Lori asks them both. “It <i>is</i> my bed.”</p><p>Eyes still closed, Mike reaches a hand up for his girlfriend. Lori takes his hand and he drags her down into the bed with the two of them. He flops onto his back and gives Lori a kiss. </p><p>“Always, baby,” he tells her sweetly, following it with another kiss to her lips.</p><p>Lori takes her place under Mike’s arm and Tim does the same on his other side.</p><p>“Missed you,” Lori says in between kisses.</p><p>“Careful,” Mike warns. “Tim’s going to feel left out.”</p><p>Her response to that is to lift her head and lean across her husband to kiss Tim. Mike watches carefully, pupils dilating. The kiss starts slow and gentle, grows hotter as Tim begins using his tongue.</p><p>Lori’s reddish-brown hair falls in her face. Mike tucks the strands behind her ear so she can keep kissing Tim.</p><p>“Happy?” Lori asks, after pulling away from Tim.</p><p>“Yes,” Mike says, a little too excitedly.  </p><p>Tim’s cheeks start to turn pink.</p><p>Mike notices and gives Tim a kiss of his own. “So damn cute. You think you’re not.” He turns back to Lori. “And you…” <i>kiss</i> “Beautiful.”</p><p>“I’m glad you’re home.”</p><p>“Wanna show me how glad?” Mike flirts.</p><p>“Actually…I want you to watch him fuck me,” Lori says.</p><p>Mike gets an instant hard-on.</p><p>“You must have been lonely,” Mike kids, reaching down to adjust himself.</p><p>“Is that a yes?” she presses.</p><p>“Fuck yes,” Mike answers. He looks to Tim, knowing his consent and participation is necessary, holding his breath. “I mean…?”</p><p>“Oh yeah,” Tim breathes in agreement. </p><p>Mike gets a hand on Lori’s hip and tugs her on top of his legs. She settles atop his hips, straddling him, and he gets his fingers under her nightgown, stripping it up over her body.  Her figure’s beautiful, long hair flowing down around her shoulders.</p><p>Mike sneaks a look at Tim, who appears just as taken with Lori as Mike feels. He feels a strange pride when Tim looks at his girlfriend with lust in his eyes. He runs his hands up and down her sides, feels goosebumps rising underneath his fingers. He runs a thumb down her breast and over a pert nipple.</p><p>“Go on,” Mike encourages Tim. </p><p>Tim sits up, climbs to his knees. He tangles his long fingers in Lori’s hair and pulls her mouth to his in a kiss.</p><p>Mike watches with a satisfied look. “That feel good, baby?”</p><p>“Yes,” Tim answers, at the same time Lori says “uh-huh.”</p><p>Mike grins and slides his hand down Lori’s side to grab her ass.</p><p>Tim starts pressing kisses to Lori’s neck and chest.</p><p>“That’s it,” Mike encourages. “Keep going.”</p><p>“You sound like you’re awake now, you backseat driver,” Tim kids.</p><p>“Remember whose girl you’re kissing,” Mike warns playfully, but Tim stops kissing Lori and drags Mike in by the back of his neck.</p><p>“Shut the hell up,” Tim tells him, doing it himself with a kiss.</p><p>“Take your pants off,” Mike tells him. “And you —“ Mike wraps his arms around Lori and rolls them around so Lori’s on the bed underneath him.</p><p>Tim shimmies out of his pants, watching Mike lay kisses along Lori’s body. </p><p>Mike tucks his thumbs in Lori’s lacy panties and tugs them down. He balls them up and throws them in some direction, away from the bed, doing the same with his pants and boxers.</p><p>“Mike,” she complains.</p><p>“I’ll clean it up later,” Mike promises, pushing her knees up to her chest. He licks her clit, flattens his tongue against the pulsing flesh. </p><p>“What happened to - <i>oh</i> - letting Tim have some fun?”</p><p>“Just making sure you’re ready,” Mike winks, before burying his head between her legs.</p><p>Tim palms his dick. He’s already hard, but watching Mike eat Lori out takes him the rest of the way. He looks on with rapt attention as Mike dips his tongue inside her, flicking it against her clit before tasting her, moving deeper, working it until she starts spasming under his attentions. “You’re so wet,” he comments, and Tim swallows, gripping himself harder.</p><p>Mike lies on his back and pulls Lori on top of him in one swift move like she’s meant to ride him. He motions to Tim, who makes sure to steal a kiss from Mike before climbing behind Lori.</p><p>Tim runs his tongue over his lips. Mike tastes like pussy. Tim positions himself behind Lori, pressing his body up against her back, breathing in the scent of her hair.</p><p>“Show her how you want her,” Mike commands Tim.</p><p>Tim grips Lori’s hip and pushes down on her shoulder with the other until she’s poised above Mike, back arched, ass up in front of Tim.</p><p>Tim leans down to kiss Lori’s shoulder. “All good?” he asks, brushing a hand against her ribs.</p><p>“Yeah,” she breathes, kissing her husband, grabbing his hand.</p><p>Tim strokes his dick a few times before sliding himself into Lori, gripping both her hips to pull her back onto his cock.</p><p>Lori gasps into Mike’s mouth. He reaches up to gather her hair on one side, pulling it away from her neck so Tim can bend forward and fastens his mouth to Lori’s exposed neck, pressing his cock deeper inside her cunt, snapping his hips against hers and holding her in place above her husband.</p><p>“How do you feel?” Mike asks, looking into her lidded eyes.</p><p>Lori’s face is flushed, her mouth hanging open. She presses her face against Mike’s chest. “Ohh,” she moans, barely managing any words.</p><p>“Harder,” Mike tells Tim, hand gripping Lori’s arm, realizing from her sounds she’s close.</p><p>Tim listens, thrusting harder, pressing his cock deeper and harder into Lori’s tight cunt. </p><p>Mike kisses Lori, swallows her airy moans, reaching down to play with himself. He’s hard as a rock. </p><p>“Fuck me harder,” Lori begs Tim, knowing what it’ll do to Mike.</p><p>Mike bucks into his fist. He reaches up and slides his index finger into Lori’s mouth. She slides her tongue around it, pulling off with an audible pop.</p><p>“You heard her, Tim,” Mike says, hand returning to his dick. “Fuck her harder.”</p><p>Tim really puts his back into it, grabs a handful of Lori’s ass and starts thrusting so hard the bedframe starts banging against the wall. He fucks her until she’s just about screaming. Mike presses his hand against her open mouth to drown out the sound of her orgasm.</p><p>Tim pumps out a steady rhythm until he can’t last any longer, climax brewing within him.</p><p>Tim starts to pull out, but Lori digs her nails into his thighs, keeping him snug against her backside. “Come inside me,” she demands, arching her back.</p><p>“I’m not wearing a condom,” Tim replies breathlessly.</p><p>Something flashes in Mike’s eyes, and Lori leans down, smug, sharing a kiss. </p><p>“I’m on birth control,” she mutters, hand in MIke’s hair.</p><p>Tim starts pounding faster and Mike swallows Lori’s moans. </p><p>Tim’s close too, trying to hide his gasp when he comes but fails, releasing his load inside Lori’s hot, wet cunt. </p><p>“Ohhh,” Lori moans at the sensation, nails digging into her husband’s chest.</p><p>Tim pulls out with a sharp sigh, collapsing beside Lori on the bed. Mike and Lori are still kissing, Lori reaching for her husband’s dick.</p><p>Mike grabs her thin wrist and pins it above her head, climbing on top of her and pressing inside her. He only manages a few thrusts into her dripping pussy before finishing himself, coming inside Lori.</p><p>“You’re so fucking hot,” Mike murmurs, kissing her neck, lips pressing against the sensitive spot below Lori’s ear.</p><p>Lori returns his affection, sparing a kiss for Tim, too. “Next time it’s your turn,” she says to Mike suggestively, sneaking a wink at Tim. “Right, Tim?”</p><p>Tim kisses her temple. </p><p>Mike lies down in the middle of the bed, collapsing between his girlfriend and his best friend. Their trailer was small, but in retrospect, the king-size bed had been a wise choice.</p><p>Tim brushes Mike’s hair out of the way and bites his neck, sucking a hickey onto the skin. Tim will look at it and <i>remember</i>, and everyone else will just think it’s Lori’s fault.</p><p>“I <i>was</i> going to get up,” Mike laments lazily.</p><p>“Why? You’ve got everything you need right here.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Mike says proudly, putting his arms around both of them. He turns to Lori for a kiss, then Tim, ready to settle into sleep once again. “I do.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Lonely For Your Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tim joins the Fortiers on a Christmas camping trip.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For the second year in a row, Tim gets an invitation to the Fortier family Christmas trip instead of Lori. Usually the trips were kept to just family, but only one of Mike’s brothers could make it, leaving some extra room in the cabin. Mike’s parents like his girlfriend Lori just fine, but <i>really</i> liked Tim - he was a mother’s dream: clean, thoughtful, respectful, and Mike has no real say here. So it was one and not the other.</p><p>Mike looks forward to the annual camping trip immensely, even though he’ll have to pretend to be outraged in front of his girlfriend. It will be almost a whole week up in a cabin in the woods, snow and bonfires and guns and whatever the hell else they want to do. It’s the perfect thing for Tim, the more he thinks about it. Mike and Tim will spend the requisite time with Mike’s parents, but after that? Free vacation. Mike can picture snuggling up with Tim in front of the fire, ugly sweaters, and mugs of cocoa. Tim will love it. He always loves Christmastime.</p><p>Maybe they’d even get another cheesy photo. Mike still has last year’s silly photo tucked into his own copy of <i>The Turner Diaries</i>, a snapshot of Mike and Tim atop the Grand Canyon, arms around each other’s shoulders and grins on their faces.</p><p>*</p><p>The day after Christmas, Mike and Tim drive out to the Superstition Mountains in Mike’s car, almost a four-hour drive from Kingman.</p><p>The cabin they pull up to is isolated, tucked into a clearing in the woods, miles from any other campsite. Mike’s parents Paul and Irene and his older brother Rick pull up about two minutes after Mike and Tim do, confirming they’ve found the right location.</p><p>Everyone greets each other with hugs, even Tim, who the whole family had a chance to meet at Thanksgiving dinner a few years ago.</p><p>They’re all taken with the inside of the cabin: it’s cozy, an enormous deer head hanging over the stone fireplace. There’s a giant flannel blanket hanging over the back of the sofa and plenty of chairs to pull up around the fire.</p><p>“This is lovely,” Mike’s mother Irene gushes as the men bring in the luggage. She claims the biggest bedroom for herself and her husband, looking around with interest. </p><p>Rick quickly calls dibs on the next largest bedroom, disappearing inside. </p><p>Paul opens the door to the second bedroom. “Uh-oh, boys, looks like there’s only one bed in this one. One of you can take the couch.”</p><p>“No way,” Mike swears dramatically. “Look how tall Tim is. He’ll never fit. We can share.”</p><p>“As long as Tim doesn’t mind,” Mike’s mother says, lifting her eyebrow apologetically.</p><p>“We’ll make it work,” Tim tells her casually. Of course Mike wouldn’t relegate him to the sofa. They’d shared more than a bed before.</p><p>“Mike, honey, will you bring in the food?” Irene asks, but Tim’s already on his way out the door to bring in the groceries, earning his keep.</p><p>*</p><p>That night - and every night of the vacation - the Fortiers gather around the table for dinner and a bottle of wine.</p><p>Rick was the only one of Mike's siblings that could make it this year, but he gives Mike enough crap for all of them. Thankfully Tim’s there to keep it from getting relentless as Mike’s dad strikes up a conversation about football. </p><p>“Now Tim, you’re from New York? Does that make you a Jets fan?” Paul asks.</p><p>“No sir, the Buffalo Bills.”</p><p>“That’s right. Who’d they play last week? The Dolphins?”</p><p>“Won 47 to 34,” Tim crows. “Highest scoring game this season,” he says proudly.</p><p>Mike shrugs at Rick.</p><p>“Yeah, that was something, wasn’t it?” Paul chuckles. </p><p>“If they beat the Jets they’re headed for the playoffs.”</p><p>“Your team might stand a chance at the Super Bowl this year.”</p><p>“You’re damn right,” Tim responds.</p><p>Mike rolls his eyes. He didn’t follow football, even though the rest of the men in his family did. “I’m going out for a cigarette,” he says, leaving Tim to speak with his parents.</p><p>Tim joins him on the deck twenty minutes later where he finds him smoking his second cigarette in a row. Mike offers Tim a smoke, but he waves his hand.</p><p>It’s not long before they’re entangled in a deep discussion, perched on the patio, losing track of time. When Mike and Tim finally make their way back inside, everyone’s gone to their separate rooms. Tim dims the light and they head for bed.</p><p>*</p><p>The morning air is chilly, seeping into the cabin through the windows as the sun slowly comes up. Mike moves closer to Tim under the covers. He’d managed to keep his distance all night, but it was hard to resist, as cold as it is.</p><p>Mike snakes an arm around Tim’s waist.</p><p>“You’re freezing,” Tim complains, but turns around to face Mike. He puts a hand on Mike’s neck - payback - then fists it in Mike’s hair and kisses him. “Let’s go for a hike.”</p><p>“It’s early,” Mike frowns. From the bed, Mike watches Tim pull on a clean t-shirt and a green flannel. Tim grabs a clean shirt for Mike and tosses it at his head.</p><p>“Sun’s already up.”</p><p>Tim’s been like this as long as Mike’s known him. He’s the only nutjob who might’ve actually enjoyed those daylight marches in basic training, and he’s never had a problem waking up early.</p><p>It takes a while, but Tim finally rouses Mike and gets him outside.</p><p>The sky is blue and clear, a brilliant blue over the canopy of pine trees. The two men follow a trail through the forest, Tim leading the way.</p><p>“Step lively, soldier,” Tim beckons, walking backward for a moment.</p><p>Mike doesn’t speed up.</p><p>“Damn it. I wish I brought some bud. I could use a joint right now.”</p><p>“Learn to live without it,” comes Tim’s unsympathetic response.</p><p>“I shouldn’t have to!”</p><p>Tim rolls his eyes. “I’ll fight the War on Drugs after the government figures out how to protect our Constitutional right to bear arms,” Tim promises, voice dripping with sarcasm.</p><p>“My hero,” Mike kids, batting his eyelashes.</p><p>Tim flips him the bird.</p><p>“So your parents like me, huh?” Tim grins a moment later.</p><p>“I guess so.” This is the second year in a row Tim’s gone on Christmas vacation with the Fortiers. “Yeah, they like you more than me, probably,” Mike laughs.</p><p>“That’s a good thing. I think.”</p><p>“It’s a little weird, but I can deal.”</p><p>The walk is pleasant, the morning air crisp but not too cold. They trudge through fallen leaves until their stomachs start to growl.</p><p>“You hungry?” Tim asks, checking in with Mike.</p><p>“Starving.”</p><p>Tim, always the navigator, turns them around and sets a course back to the cabin.</p><p>Tim grabs the axe when they return to the cabin with the intention of chopping more wood for the fire.</p><p>Mike just takes a seat on a stump and watches Tim work instead of helping. “That flannel really completes the look,” Mike pokes fun.</p><p>“You wanna say that again to the guy holding the axe?” Tim leaves it alone, though, and keeps chopping wood until there’s a stack big enough to bring back to the cabin. “I’ve got it,” Tim assures. “Make us some breakfast?”</p><p>“Yeah, alright.” Mike heads back inside.</p><p>When Tim brings the firewood in, Mike’s sprawled out across the sofa instead, hat tucked over his face. Irene is in the kitchen making pancakes.</p><p>“Morning, Tim,” Irene calls.</p><p>“Good morning. Something smells good.”</p><p>“You have a seat. They’ll be ready in just a minute. Since you’re the only one doing any work around here, you can have the first one.”</p><p>“Hey!” Mike jeers from the sofa.</p><p>Sure enough, Irene serves Tim first, setting a stack of pancakes in front of him.</p><p>“Thanks, Mrs. F,” Tim tells her.</p><p>“Mom, come on.”</p><p>“For goodness’ sake, Michael, you’re a grown man. Sit down and eat your breakfast.”</p><p>“This is supposed to be a vacation,” Mike complains, taking the seat next to Tim. “And those were supposed to be my pancakes.”</p><p>Tim shakes his head and passes the syrup.</p><p>*</p><p>While the Fortiers play blackjack, Tim makes instant hot chocolate for everyone, heating up a pot of water on the stove and digging out a bag of marshmallows from their supplies.</p><p>Paul’s already out of money by the time Tim finishes the hot chocolate. “Well, that’s it for me. Unless I were to stumble across the Dutchman’s treasure,” he laughs, never short on a stupid dad joke.</p><p>“I’m sorry, the what?” Mike asks.</p><p>“The Lost Dutchman,” Tim interrupts. “Legend has it a German prospector stumbled on a gold mine somewhere in the Superstitions. He was attacked by Apache Indians, but managed to tell a man about the mine and draw a map on his deathbed,” Tim explains, stepping in for Mike’s dad. “Someone tries to find it every once in a while. Most of ‘em end up dead.”</p><p>“How the hell do you know all this, Tim?”</p><p>“Ever try reading a book?” Tim asks (even though he’d learned it in an old episode of <i>In Search Of</i> with Leonard Nimoy).</p><p>“I think you have a thing for cowboys.”</p><p>Tim frowns, too polite to give Mike the finger in front of his parents.</p><p>The Fortiers are no match for Rick at blackjack, and eventually everyone gives in. Paul and Irene head to bed and Rick goes off with a book.</p><p>Left with the cabin to themselves, Mike builds a fire while Tim offers unhelpful comments from somewhere behind him.</p><p>“Do you want to do it?” he finally asks, but they’re both laughing, having fun. Once Mike gets the fire going he takes a seat by Tim.</p><p>“Congratulations. You’re as sophisticated as a caveman,” Tim grins.</p><p>They sit up all night in front of the fire, eventually trading the hot chocolate for Budweiser. Tim nurses the same beer all night, but Mike goes through a six-pack on his own.</p><p>The conversation dies around the same time the fire does.</p><p>Mike follows Tim into their shared bedroom, catching the back of his green Christmas sweater in his grasp. It was the one Mike’s mom had given him last year. </p><p>“You look cute in your Christmas sweater,” Mike flirts, tugging at the fabric.</p><p>Tim gives him a kiss. “Shut up.”</p><p>“It’s nice you kept it,” Mike tells him. “Made Mom’s day.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Tim murmurs into the kiss.</p><p>“And now it needs to come off,” Mike demands, tugging at Tim’s sweater. He gets his hands in the hem and yanks it up, revealing Tim’s pale abdomen. Tim raises his arms up to make it easier for Mike, but he still gets the sweater stuck around his neck. Together, they work Tim out of it.</p><p>Mike gets his hands on Tim’s bare skin after that, pushing Tim down onto the bed, working his leg between Tim’s. </p><p>Tim yelps, reaching for Mike.</p><p>“Shh. My parents are sleeping.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” Tim hushes, stealing another kiss. They make out quietly, Mike’s hand drifting across Tim’s skin. They think nothing of touching each other, hands wandering everywhere, until the door opens a crack. </p><p>“Mike, have you seen my —“</p><p>“Dad!” Mike pulls away, frantic.</p><p>“I didn’t see anything,” Paul says, blocking his eyes and looking away. He closes the door as quickly as he opened it.</p><p>“Holy shit,” Tim croaks. “Did that just happen?”</p><p>Mike puts his head in his hands. “Not again,” he mutters.</p><p>“Not again? What the hell are you talking about?”</p><p>“He’s seen worse.” Mike grimaces.</p><p>“Has he?” Tim leans in, curious. </p><p>“Unfortunately. Yeah.”</p><p>“Tell me about it,” Tim begs, leaning his chin on Mike. He knew a little bit about Mike in high school but not much.</p><p>“You don’t want to hear it,” Mike tries to convince him.</p><p>“But I really do.”</p><p>“I had a boyfriend in high school. For all of five minutes.”</p><p>“You did?” Tim looks awestruck, whether it’s because he’s surprised you did or he was never able to make it work himself. “Damn. What happened?”</p><p>“One day Dad walked in while his hands were down my pants,” Mike admits. “Things were weird with him for a long time but he got over it eventually. He knew something was up when I pierced my ear. But the guy didn’t want anything to do with me after that.” Mike shakes his head. “Nothing like that ever happened to you?”</p><p>“My mom wasn’t that cool about that kind of stuff,” Tim replies, voice flat, offering up nothing further, but he pulls away from Mike and puts his head back on his own pillow. “We should go to sleep.”</p><p>*</p><p>
  <i>Steve’s shakier on his feet than Tim is, wobbling on his ice skates. He falls on his ass twice in a row but Tim’s there every time to help him up. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>Ten-year-old Tim is the better skater, and Tim offers his hand wordlessly along with a smile without a second thought. Steve takes it, slightly steadier with Tim’s support as they hold hands and skate through the rink. They do a couple of laps, Tim thinking nothing of it until he steps off the ice and sees his mother glaring at him, hands on her hips.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Mickey forcibly pulls Tim away from Steve.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“We’re leaving.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Mom?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Mickey grips his collar. “Take off your skates.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“But Mom, I don’t —”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Tim’s confused questioning is halted when Mickey slaps Tim across the face. “Why do you do this to me? Hmm? Why are you such an embarrassment?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>It’s a question Tim will never know how to answer.</i>
</p><p>*</p><p>Tim walks on eggshells around Mike’s dad for a day or two after the awkward incident in the cabin. Tim’s much quieter than he normally is, and Paul notices. Half the reason he brought Tim along on these trips was for the conversation but they hadn’t really talked since he’d walked in on Tim and Mike the other day.</p><p>Paul waits until he and Tim are alone chopping wood to approach the young man about it.</p><p>“You alright, son?” Paul is eyeing Tim with the same serious look he uses when their conversations get steamed.</p><p>Tim lodges his axe in a stump. He takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry I ruined your Christmas trip,” he apologizes.</p><p>“Look, Tim, I don’t want you to worry about anything.”</p><p>“I’m sorry?”</p><p>“Tim, let’s get one thing clear right now, my son could do a lot worse than you,” Paul tells him, looking him in the eye.</p><p>Tim’s cheeks redden. It’s not at all what he was expecting, remembering the way his mother would smack him upside the head any time he looked at a boy too long. “Thank you, sir,” he manages to mumble.</p><p>“Besides, I don’t want him knocking up that girlfriend of his,” Paul continues disapprovingly.</p><p>“I understand.” A kid’s a lot of responsibility. If there’s anything Mike hates, it’s responsibility.</p><p>“Why don’t you pick up that stack of firewood? I think we’ve got enough for now.”</p><p>*</p><p>Mike and Tim spend the rest of their vacation living like wild men. Between hiking, fishing, and sitting around the fire, they spend most of their time outdoors. They spend so much time in the sun that color starts to show on Tim’s cheekbones, a pink sunburn that Mike tries not to touch.</p><p>Mike has the time of his life. They always do. </p><p>*</p><p>Irene makes a pumpkin pie for the Fortiers (and Tim) on the last night of the trip.</p><p>“Well, thank you, everyone, for another lovely Christmas. It’s good to be with family over the holidays.”</p><p>Tim ducks his head.</p><p>“That’s you too, Tim,” Paul tells him.</p><p>“Thanks for inviting me, really,” Tim says gratefully.</p><p>“Are you gonna eat that?” Mike asks his mother, breaking the tenderness of the moment. She slides her slice of pie over to him.</p><p>“God, Mikey, you’re spoiled,” Rick complains.</p><p>Tim smirks at the nickname. Mike’s so soft-spoken around his family - except when he wants something. Rick may only be a few years older than Mike, but Mike’s still the baby of the family.</p><p>“It’s so cold tonight,” Mike complains.</p><p>“I think it’s snowing,” Rick says. They get up and go to the window and sure enough, white flakes are tumbling down peacefully. </p><p>Behind everyone, Tim brushes his hand against Mike’s lower back. “I’ll keep you warm,” he whispers against Mike’s ear, too low for anyone else to hear it.</p><p>A shiver runs down Mike’s spine, and not from the cold.</p><p>*</p><p>By morning, the ground is covered in a blanket of snow. It’s not deep enough to prevent them from getting home, but there’s enough to make it feel like a white Christmas.</p><p>Everyone sleeps in, warm under their covers, and Mike and Tim stay in bed together pressed up against one another until they hear footsteps moving around the cabin.</p><p>Tim presses a kiss to the back of Mike’s neck, a surprisingly affectionate gesture, before rolling away and pretending like it never happened.</p><p>Tim lets Mike sleep in while he loads up Mike’s car, stacking all of the camping supplies in the trunk like he’s playing a game of Jenga.</p><p>Tim bends over to throw Mike’s bag in the trunk, feeling something hit his back. He turns around, snapping into action immediately when he sees that Mike is holding another fistful of snow. Tim lunges forward and tackles Mike into the snow.</p><p>Tim’s crushing a pile of snow into Mike’s hair before Mike knows what’s happening to him.</p><p>“Oh, you’re gonna pay,” Mike threatens, even though Tim’s straddling him. He tries to grapple Tim and manages to successfully roll him over after a few seconds of struggling. </p><p>Keeping Tim pinned in the snow, Mike lifts his hand and slaps Tim’s ass. Tim’s spine goes rigid, then his whole body goes loose in Mike’s hands. </p><p>Mike peers up over the hill, looking behind him in every direction to make sure Rick and his parents are nowhere to be seen. Satisfied that no one is looking, Mike does it again, another firm slap against Tim’s behind. Head braced on his forearm in the snow, Tim holds completely still.</p><p>“Fuck,” Mike breathes. They’d fooled around something like this before, both of them turned on by the idea, trying to be submissive for the other man. But Tim had never just… given in to Mike before. It was like his entire body surrendered to him. “You want another one?”</p><p>“Yes,” Tim whispers.</p><p>Mike slaps him again, harder this time, determined to leave a mark under Tim’s jeans. He’d be sure to check once they were safely back in his trailer in Kingman.</p><p>“Fuck,” Tim mutters. He rolls off Mike’s lap and into the snow. It’s obvious when Tim reaches down that he’s adjusting his erection inside his jeans.</p><p>“We should — inside,” Mike mutters.</p><p>Tim scrambles up. “No.” He grabs Mike’s hand and pulls him towards the woods instead.</p><p>They walk past the spot where they cut wood for the fire, Tim leading Mike deeper into the forest until he’s satisfied with the distance away from the cabin.</p><p>Tim pulls Mike into a kiss, grinding his hips against Mike’s, making sure the other man can feel his full cock pressing insistently against his thigh.</p><p>Mike pushes Tim against a tree trunk. He gropes Tim over his jeans before flicking the button open and tugging them down so he can get a hand in Tim’s boxers. Tim’s already hard, precome leaking out the tip, and Mike wraps his fist around Tim’s dick.</p><p>“I can’t believe there’s no lock on that door,” Mike gripes, pumping his fist. He presses a kiss just underneath Tim’s jaw. “Can’t wait to get you into my own bed. Gonna spread you out, take my time with you.”</p><p>Tim whimpers into his kiss. </p><p>Mike knocks Tim back against the tree. He’s still clinging to Mike’s jacket, hanging on for dear life. They’ve been sleeping in the same bed all week and haven’t fooled around once, not since Mike’s dad walked in on them.</p><p>“You gonna let me do <i>that</i> again?” Mike asks hopefully, meaning the spanking, imagining his handprint red on Tim’s pale ass.</p><p>“Yes, please, Mike,” Tim begs, closing his eyes.</p><p>Mike makes a particularly skillful move and Tim starts to let out a low moan. Mike shoves his hand over Tim’s mouth. They can’t be that far from the cabin.</p><p>“Shh,” Mike shushes him. Tim licks his palm.</p><p>Mike picks up the pace, stroking harder, faster, working his fist around Tim until he gets that unfocused look in his eyes, lips parted. Mike can’t resist that look. He leans in for a hard kiss.</p><p>Tim clenches his long fingers in Mike’s jacket, bucking into his fist. Mike keeps working his fingers over Tim’s cock until Tim’s shooting over them, body sagging against the tree.</p><p>Mike wipes off his hand. “We’re too old to be sneaking around like high schoolers,” Mike comments.</p><p>Tim tucks himself back into his pants with a sheepish smile.</p><p>“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Tim grins, taking Mike’s face between his hands and kissing him.</p><p>They ride the buzz all the way back to the cabin, where Paul, Irene, and Rick are packing up the Fortier’s car.</p><p>“Where the fuck were you?” Rick complains when they get back to the cabin.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” Mike snaps.</p><p>Tim just puts his hands in his pockets and keeps walking. He helps Mike’s mom carry her luggage to her car. Mike and Rick are still tussling outside the cabin when they finish packing.</p><p>“Merry Christmas, everyone,” Irene says as she gives everyone a hug.</p><p>“Bye, Mom,” Mike tells his parents. “Dad.”</p><p>“Thanks again,” Tim thanks Mike’s parents graciously.</p><p>Instead of giving Mike a hug, Rick antagonizes him yet one more time, and they start tussling again.</p><p>Tim grips Mike’s shoulders and steers him toward the car. “Okay, enough.” He can hear Mike’s mom muttering about her grown children’s behavior as she gets into her own vehicle. “Keys?”</p><p>Mike hands them over without a word, and Tim drives them all the way back to Kingman, classic rock station blaring on the radio.</p><p>When they return, Mike’s girlfriend Lori greets them at the door of the trailer, hugging Mike a little more vigorously than usual.</p><p>“Babe,” Mike says fondly.</p><p>“Mike. Tim. Hey.”</p><p>“You okay, honey? You look pale,” Mike tells her, stroking her shoulder as they follow her into the kitchen.</p><p>“I’m glad you’re back,” she says. Mike pushes her hair behind her ear.</p><p>“Shit,” they can hear Tim say. When Lori and Mike look up, Tim’s white as a sheet. He’s holding a pregnancy test that he found on the counter. “Lori, is this —?”</p><p>Mike’s jaw drops.</p><p>“Surprise,” Lori grimaces. “I think I’m pregnant.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Why Can’t This Be Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mike and Lori have a baby girl, despite questions of paternity looming like a shadow.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>An ultrasound confirms Lori’s pregnancy.</p><p>It should be a happy day, but Lori comes home biting her nails. She doesn’t tell Mike what’s bothering her until they climb into bed that night and Mike spoons her.</p><p>“Mike, I need to tell you something,” she says, unable to look him in the eye. “You remember when we hooked up with Tim back in May?” Lori asks.</p><p>“Oh, fuck,” Mike curses. “You mean —?”</p><p>“I swear I didn’t fuck up, Mike. Something happened with my birth control pills.”</p><p>“Lori,” Mike breathes, face inscrutable.</p><p>“I don’t know that it was for sure that night… but we don’t know it <i>wasn’t</i>.”</p><p>“So I might not be the father,” Mike realizes sadly, his hand pressed against Lori’s stomach. Mike thinks it over. It takes a moment to sink in but he’s quick to make up his mind. “I want to keep it,” he tells her. “Even if it’s Tim’s.”</p><p>“Yeah,” she sniffles. “Me too.”</p><p>Mike tucks her hair behind her ear.  He’s not sure what he can say right now.</p><p>“I’m scared, Mike,” Lori admits.</p><p>“We’ll figure this out,” he whispers, murmuring positive thoughts against her shoulder. “You and Tim would still make beautiful babies,” Mike points out, though he’s not sure his sentiments are effective. He strokes his thumb up and down her arm. “I will still love you. I will still love this baby,” he guarantees. He kisses the only part of her he can reach. “You’re my girl.”</p><p>Mike holds Lori a little tighter on this night, covering her shaking hands with his own.</p><p>*</p><p>“We need to take a walk,” Mike tells Tim. </p><p>Tim worries a little bit about how serious he sounds but follows Mike into the mountains.</p><p>Mike finds a spot for them to settle down in the red dirt. He pulls out a joint, careful with the ashes. Things in the desert are liable to go up in flames.</p><p>The stars are bright tonight. Tim only knows a few constellations, but he points one out to Mike just to break the silence.</p><p>“Mike,” Tim starts. “You look worried. What’s eating you?”</p><p>Mike hits the joint, forgetting to pass it. Tim doesn’t mind; he’s more interested in what Mike has to say.</p><p>“Can I talk to you, Tim? Really talk to you?”</p><p>“Always,” Tim promises. It’s been the foundation of their friendship, that trust. Something must be really bugging him. “Mike?”</p><p>Mike blurts it out. “Lori’s definitely pregnant. She had an ultrasound this week,” he tells Tim, watching his face for a reaction.</p><p>“Mike, that’s incredible. Congratulations.” A grin spreads on his face. Mike knows he likes kids, though he’s never seen it in action. </p><p>Mike doesn’t seem as thrilled as he should be. “It’s great. I can’t believe it.” He swallows. “Tim.”</p><p>“What’s up?”</p><p>“You remember that night the three of us got together, a couple months ago? Like three months ago?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Tim doesn’t get it, still. “Mike… Lori - how far along is she?”</p><p>“Twelve weeks.”</p><p>“…Three months?” He seems to be following along now.</p><p>“Neither of us —“</p><p>“Fuck, I know.” Neither of them used protection that night. Tim looks up at Mike. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“I still want it.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Our baby — even if it’s yours — I want to keep it,” he repeats.</p><p>Tim nods. There were ways to take care of Lori’s pregnancy, if that’s what they really wanted, if she wasn’t too far along for that kind of thing. But Mike sounds convinced.</p><p>“So either one of us could be the father.”</p><p>Mike nods. “Is that weird, that I… that I’m not mad?”</p><p>“Chances are the baby is yours anyway, Mike. It was one time.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Mike licks his lips. “Are you still excited?”</p><p>“Of course. I’m here. Whatever you need; however you need me.”</p><p>“Thank you, Tim.”</p><p>Tim throws his arm around Mike’s shoulder. “We can get a paternity test.”</p><p>“Tim. You know we can barely afford the rent on the trailer without help from Lori’s parents. That’s insane.”</p><p>“Okay, okay.” Tim finally takes the joint from Mike’s shaking hands and takes a deep hit. He blows the smoke out slowly. “You know… in prides of lions, the males don’t really know whose cub is whose. Any one of them could be the father, but they work together to care for their cubs. Team effort.”</p><p>Mike takes the joint back. Tim is such a lightweight. He hadn’t expected him to know what to say, but his stoned observation somehow makes him feel better.</p><p>“The lions love the cubs as their own,” Tim explains, and Mike squeezes his hand.</p><p>“Lori didn’t want me to tell you. I’m glad I did.”</p><p>“I’m glad you did, too,” he says, and he means it.</p><p>“I want you in the picture. I don’t know how.”</p><p>Tim smiles. “The guest bedroom is practically mine, anyway.”</p><p>Mike laughs. It’s good they came out here together. It always helps.</p><p>“You’re going to be a good dad,” Tim tells him, unbidden. </p><p>“Fuck,” Mike breathes. “We’re not even married. My parents are going to shit a brick.”</p><p>Tim takes a deep breath. “Do you love her?”</p><p>“Yeah, Tim. I really do.”</p><p>“Well, there you go.”</p><p>Mike shivers. “Can we stay out here a while longer?”</p><p>“Hell yeah, Mike.”</p><p>Mike settles more comfortably against Tim’s side, although it’s hard to get too comfortable.</p><p>“Is there such a thing as a comfortable spot in the desert?” Tim asks, like he’s read Mike’s mind.</p><p>Mike leans his head back against the rock. Having a kid will change a lot. For one thing, there’ll be less nights in the desert like these.</p><p>Tim and Mike stay out all night, until the moon rises high in the sky above their heads.</p><p>“Don’t let the coyotes get me,” Tim laughs when he finally leans his head against Mike’s shoulder. He’s only going to rest his eyes for a moment.</p><p>Who knows how many minutes later it is when he stirs. Mike’s been keeping a valiant watch.</p><p>“I’m going to miss these nights,” Mike admits.</p><p>Tim felt a sharp pang in his chest.</p><p>“You could come on the road with me - just the two of us,” Tim asks, feeling bad as soon as the words leave his mouth.</p><p>“As nice as that sounds, you know I can’t.”</p><p>“I can dream,” Tim smiles. He slides his hand into Mike’s hair and kisses him. “Will a baby change everything? I mean — will it change us?”</p><p>Mike shrugs. Right now, how can they tell?</p><p>*</p><p>Mike’s not sure whether he or Tim is more nervous as Lori’s due date approaches. They both spend their time taking care of Lori and pampering her, and in their free time they pace around each other, offering reassuring touches and glances. </p><p>Tim tries to take care of the house so that Mike can focus on Lori. The day her water breaks, Mike’s eyes nearly bug out of his head.</p><p>“You got this,” Tim guarantees, sending them off. “I’ll be here when you get back. All three of you.”</p><p>Lori still doesn’t know that Tim <i>knows</i>, and Mike almost considers it a betrayal, but Tim had to know. Mike needs him - especially if he’s having his child.</p><p>Tim cleans the trailer after they leave for the hospital. Everything will be spotless by the time they get home with their little girl. </p><p>*</p><p>The baby comes on Valentine’s Day in 1993. Lori and Mike bring her home the next day. </p><p>Tim lets them enter the trailer at their own pace, hesitant to make his presence known as Mike carries in the carseat holding their new daughter, but in the end Mike is the one who comes looking for Tim. “Hey. Come meet Kayla.”</p><p>Tim joins them and Mike scoops Kayla into Tim’s arms - surprisingly, he’s a natural. Tim looks into her tiny brown eyes and grins. They’re Mike’s eyes, chocolate and thoughtful. It’s undeniable. She’s even got Mike’s nose, like a tiny little clone. <i>God, she’s cute</i>. Tim’s heart thumps. “She’s wonderful,” Tim says, eyes still focused on hers. Mike and Lori have a little girl. She’s here.</p><p>Tim hands Kayla back to her mother.</p><p>Tim knows life is going to change. It’s bittersweet, but he’s happy for Mike. He’s always dreamed of a family, and this is as close as he’ll get. So he’ll spoil Kayla Fortier, and he’ll spoil her father. It’s his only choice.</p><p>Lori is beautiful but tired, and somehow Mike looks even more tired than she is. </p><p>“I’m so hungry,” Mike admits, burnt out already.</p><p>“I’ve got it,” Tim tells him. “What do you want?”</p><p>Mike looks to Lori and Kayla. “Hon?”</p><p>“This sounds stupid, but I’d kill for a Frosty from Wendy’s.”</p><p>“You don’t have to —“ Mike starts to tell Tim.</p><p>“I’ve got it,” Tim interrupts. He kisses Lori’s forehead and puts a hand on Mike’s shoulder. “You guys settle in. I’ll be back in a few.” Tim grabs his car keys. “What do you want to eat, Mike?”</p><p>Mike smiles gratefully. “Number five.”</p><p>Tim’s not bailing - just offering some privacy. When he comes back with bags of fast food, Lori is sitting by the window, soothing Kayla. Mike is passed out on the sofa. Tim can only grin.</p><p>Tim gets Lori all set up first, offering to hold the baby so she can eat. He’d already eaten his burger in the car, knowing they’d be hungry.</p><p>“God, yes,” Lori agrees, handing Kayla off to Tim. She tears into her chicken nuggets.</p><p>Tim used to baby-sit back in high school; he knows exactly how to hold Kayla and to calm her down. Tim stares down at her little face. “She looks just like Mike,” Tim says without thinking.</p><p>“Yeah, she does. It’s kind of crazy.”</p><p>“Congratulations,” Tim tells her again, finally looking up from Kayla’s face.</p><p>“Thanks, Tim.” She smiles fondly. </p><p>“Think Mike wants to keep sleeping?”</p><p>“Wake him up. God forbid he gets a cold hamburger. I won’t hear the end of it.”</p><p>“Let’s go wake up your Daddy,” Tim whispers to Kayla’s little doe eyes. He carries her to the sofa, reaching down to brush the hair out of Mike’s eyes. “Dinner,” he says when Mike peeks through one open eye.</p><p>Mike straightens his glasses. He reaches up to take Kayla but Tim shoos him toward the table. “Eat.”</p><p>Mike can already tell that it’ll be nice having Tim around; the man is unexpectedly helpful.</p><p>Tim documents everything with a disposable camera, not realizing that when the photographs get developed he’ll be missing from every scene like he was never there to begin with.</p><p>*</p><p>Sneaking around with a little kid around is… not the same. </p><p>One evening, Lori catches Mike and Tim fooling around on the baby monitor. She teases them relentlessly for days.</p><p>Tim’s more careful next time, but nothing deflates a mood faster than stepping on a squeaky toy at one in the morning. Always having to keep your voice down because of a sleeping baby is a chore, not a turn-on. Their opportunities become limited, few and far between. </p><p>Tim craves the taste of Mike’s sweat. The thrill of his touch becomes more special the harder it becomes to get it. Tim lives for the nights Mike chases his gasps with his mouth, and prays that they find enough time and space to keep going.</p><p>*</p><p>Mike marries Lori on July 25, 1994 in a casino in Vegas, and Tim is at the wedding, too - he’s their best man. He laughs when Lori wears white but tells her she looks beautiful anyway.</p><p>After the ceremony, Tim and Mike each press a kiss to Lori’s cheeks. Mike holds the disposable camera up and snaps a crooked photograph of the three of them.</p><p>Lori and Mike keep to themselves on their wedding night. Tim can hear their lovemaking in the room next door through the thin hotel wall. </p><p>Tim’s hand goes to his dick, which is already growing hard at the familiar sounds of Mike and Lori getting it on. He imagines their movements, the sounds of their actions louder than they realize.</p><p>The grateful moans mean Mike is eating her out, holding her against the bed and using his tongue, licking up the taste of her.</p><p>There’s a cry that Tim doesn’t recognize, a helpless noise followed by one of pleasure, accompanied by the steady rhythm of the headboard hitting the wall.</p><p><i>Maybe she’s letting Mike put it in her ass tonight</i>, Tim thinks, bored, his cock giving an interested twitch in his hand. He’s rock hard at the idea, pumping his cock a few times as he imagines Lori on her hands and knees in front of Mike.</p><p>Tim listens for the familiar sounds of Mike fucking Lori, jacking himself faster when he hears a low growl. It was in Lori’s ear, his brain supplies, and Mike’s probably got a hand in her hair, yanking her head to the side so he can kiss her neck.</p><p>The banging of the bed grows faster, and then stops. Tim loses interest after he knows Mike and Lori both came, when all he can hear is the muffled sounds of their post-coital bullshit, and he hops in the shower to finish himself off with a few perfunctory strokes. <i>Take that, Spice Channel,</i> Tim thinks to himself with amusement.</p><p>The next day, Mike and Lori go off on their honeymoon, and Tim drives back to Kingman to keep an eye on their trailer for a week. They leave Kayla with Lori’s parents, so Tim just has to feed the cats. As a wedding present, Tim cleans their trailer from top to bottom.</p><p>That entire summer, Mike and Lori walk on air. </p><p>Over the next year, Tim spends his time traveling around the country, running the gun show circuit and splitting his time between Arizona and Michigan.  Tim’s been living on Terry Nichols’ farm in Michigan for a month or two in 1994 when he calls Mike and tells him bluntly that he’s unhappy.</p><p>“So come back, babe,” Mike tells him over the phone like it’s the easiest thing in the world, wondering selfishly why he’s always having to tell him to stay put instead of wandering across the country. He offers to help Tim get a job at the True Value hardware store, and Tim accepts.</p><p>On Mike’s 26th birthday, they take a road trip through the middle of America. They fuck in a Motel 6 in Amarillo, Texas. </p><p>The very next day Tim gets off the highway and takes Mike on a detour through downtown Oklahoma City.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As usual, I relied on Mike’s <a>trial testimony</a> for the timeline. Most of my Tim/Mike fics exist within the same universe unless otherwise specified (though specifics of when/where they hook up &amp; how often vary from fic to fic, and I’ll sometimes tackle the same scene in a different way, or spread it out over multiple stories). Thanks for reading if you got this far.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Down and Dirty</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things start to blow up.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tim eventually moves back in to Mike and Lori’s trailer over New Year’s 1995, the timing of which Mike will remember after the spectacular blowjob Tim gives him in his brand new Jeep.</p><p>Mike likes having Tim around again, and he picks up a little crystal so they can party. Tim doesn’t partake often, but Mike tries to make sure they have a good time when he does. He snorts a little crystal with them one night in February when Kayla’s at her grandparents’ house. </p><p>Mike makes no secret of his intentions for the evening, sitting in between Lori and Tim on the couch. He makes sure he’s close to Tim, letting every touch linger.</p><p>Mike throws the baggie down on the table once he’s fucked up. “Fuck it,” he says, and crawls into Tim’s lap, straddling him. Arms around his neck, he leans in for a messy kiss.</p><p>Tim bites Mike’s lower lip, teasing him. His nerves feel like they’re on fire, and every touch from Mike makes them burn hotter.</p><p>Lori keeps taking drugs while they make out until she starts to get scattered, finding the urge to do something with her fingers. “I gotta do something with my hands,” she announces.</p><p>Tim reaches over and massages her twitching fingers. He presses a kiss to her palm.</p><p>High and a little possessive, Mike layers Tim’s neck with kisses. In no uncertain terms, he’s trying to steal Tim’s attention back. “He’s mine,” he warns Lori.</p><p>Tim slides his hands underneath Mike’s shirt. “Hey now,” he says, nipping at Mike’s lips, “there’s enough of me to go around. I think.”</p><p>He has a point. There’s nothing to do but get high and fuck.</p><p>Tim turns his head to spare a kiss for Lori.</p><p>“This has to go,” Lori says rather quickly, tugging at his shirt.</p><p>“Okay,” Tim says, laughing, following her lead and getting rid of his Buffalo Bills t-shirt.</p><p>Under his clothes, Tim’s got an uneven tan from driving for so long, his right arm paler than his left. He’d left the window down too long on his last trip, and he’s mildly sunburnt on his left side.</p><p>Talkative Lori can’t resist pointing out the uneven burn all over Tim’s skin once he gets his shirt off.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” Tim plays it off, swatting at Lori.</p><p>“Does it hurt?”</p><p>“I’m fine,” he boasts.</p><p>“Good.” She draws a finger up the line, tracing the spot where burnt pink flesh contrasts with pale skin. “This side’s mine,” she says, pressing her lips to the sunburnt skin. Tim ignores the sting at the contact. She looks to Mike and presses her finger to the other side. “And this side’s yours,” she tells Mike.</p><p>“You’re lucky I’m sharing at all,” Mike grumps, looking forlorn.</p><p>Tim thinks his attitude is cute. Tim rewards him with a sweet kiss, unable to resist him in this mood. He almost wishes Lori weren’t here and it was just the two of them tonight, but it’s a little late for that.</p><p>Lori tries to win Tim’s attention by curling up against his side and dropping kisses on his shoulder.</p><p>Mike manages to tear himself away from Tim long enough to kiss Lori. “Go wait on the bed,” he tells her. She looks at them longingly before obeying.</p><p>“Naughty,” Tim accuses after she leaves the room, seeing through his request. His teeth graze Mike’s jaw.</p><p>“I don’t feel like sharing,” Mike complains.</p><p>“Might be too late for that,” Tim quips. “You can’t leave her in there while we fuck out here.”</p><p>“Then let’s show her what she’s fucking missing,” Mike growls. He claims Tim’s mouth in a rough kiss.</p><p>Tim grips Mike’s hips hard enough to leave bruises. By the looks of things, he’ll want something to remember this by later. He arches against him, grinds their cocks together through their jeans. “You wanna fuck me?”</p><p>“Want you,” Mike insists.</p><p>“You want me to fuck you?” Tim grins, pressing a hard kiss to Mike’s lips. “You want me to tear you apart, to… mmm,” he presses a kiss below Mike’s jaw. “Take you and not hold back?”</p><p>Tim gets a hand in Mike’s jeans, wrapping a firm hand around his cock.</p><p>“Is that what you want? You want Lori to see you like that? Want me to hold you down and make your wife watch as I make you scream?”</p><p>MIke’s pupils are dilated, fucked up on meth and lust and Timothy McVeigh.</p><p>“Do it,” Mike begs like a slut.</p><p>Tim takes his hand away - leaving Mike gasping for his touch - and fists a hand in his shaggy brown hair, sharply tugging his head forward. “Get the fuck to the bedroom,” Tim commands.</p><p>Mike crawls off Tim’s lap and makes a beeline for the bedroom, stripping off his muscle tee and jeans as he goes. By the time he makes it to the bedroom, he’s left only in his boxers.</p><p>Tim follows, pointedly not groping at his own raging erection, eager to let Mike do the work.</p><p>Lori’s a little startled when they explode into the bedroom, but watches through wide eyes, instantly stunned by the intensity by the two men.</p><p>Tim catches Mike’s chin and steals a forceful kiss. </p><p>“Take ‘em off,” Tim instructs, hooking two fingers in the collar of his own shirt and slinging it over his head. He shoves his jeans and boxers down his hips, erection springing free. </p><p>Tim grips Mike’s arms and reels him in, pushing their hips together. The brush of their cocks against another is electric, and Mike’s brown eyes plead.</p><p>“What are you waiting for?” Tim edges him closer to the bed until he falls back on it. He waits for Mike to turn over and get on his knees, exposing himself for Tim.</p><p>Tim covers Mike with his body, drapes himself across Mike’s back. He bites his shoulder, pleased when his teeth leave a red outline on the skin.</p><p>Mike can’t hold back the “ohhh” that escapes his mouth when Tim opens him up, barely spending any time using his fingers before pressing his dick inside Mike, fucking him steadily.</p><p>“You feel so good around my cock,” Tim pants, to hell with any sexy talk, just feeling good from the meth and from Mike. Half the time Tim forgets Lori’s beside them watching, so lost in the heat of the moment with Mike. It’s hot. A little weird, but hot.</p><p>Tim is relentless, slamming into Mike’s body with everything he’s got. “So fucking good, Mike, love it, love you,” Tim pants breathlessly against Mike’s shoulder, blissed out and unaware of the words tumbling from his mouth. Tim pounds into him, setting an erratic pace Mike can’t predict or follow.</p><p>Just like he promised - Tim makes him scream, rips an unseemly howl from his mouth that Mike shamefully tries to hide in a pillow as Tim drives into him hard.</p><p>“Touch yourself,” Tim murmurs, mouth so close to Mike’s ear that Lori can’t hear him. He doesn’t want her help on this. He wants Mike to come with his hand on his cock and nothing but the image of Tim in his head.</p><p>Mike touches himself; he barely gets a hand on his dick before it spurts over the covers and then Tim reaches his own orgasm, one hand braced on Mike’s hip and cock buried deep inside Mike as he spills his semen in Mike’s ass.</p><p>Bodies tangled together, they take a breath before pulling apart. Sweaty, sozzled, Tim pulls out of Mike’s behind and collapses in a heap beside him. Fuck, that was what he needed. Tim closes his eyes and catches his breath. </p><p>When Tim finally opens his eyes again, Lori’s giving some gentle attention to Mike, stroking her fingers through Mike’s sweaty hair and pressing soft whispers of kisses to his body as he recoups his stamina.</p><p>Mike recovers first, and Lori takes a turn, giving her husband a sloppy blowjob.</p><p>Tim and Mike trade tame kisses while Lori goes to town on Mike. She brings him to the edge before pulling off completely, leaving more for later. </p><p>Tim tickles the scruff on Mike’s chin. “Billy Goat Gruff.”</p><p>Mike tries to twist away. Tim’s ticklish fingers follow him until Mike sucks one into his mouth.</p><p>“You better watch it or I’ll give you something else to suck on,” Tim threatens.</p><p>Mike grins devilishly. “You want another hit?”</p><p>Tim nods, requiring more energy to keep up with the night of marathon sex.</p><p>“Bring me the ice,” Mike pleads.</p><p>“You get it,” he responds, flipping Mike’s hand away.</p><p>“I’ll get it, you lazy fucks,” Lori announces. She returns a moment later with the baggie. Mike reaches for it and she dangles it out of his reach. “Me first.”</p><p>Lori takes a hit and arches her back orgasmically. She lays out a rail for Tim first deliberately. Mike gives a frustrated wail but watches gleefully as Tim snorts the powder.</p><p>They all do a bit more crystal, coming together in a pile in the middle of the bed as the rush hits them, hands wandering everywhere.</p><p>In another handful of minutes they’re at it again, Tim lying on his back, letting Lori ride his cock. He and Mike keep their eyes on her as she rides his dick, switching between both of their bodies just because she can.</p><p>“Are you boys going to make me do all the work?” Lori asks eventually.</p><p>Mike snaps his hips up inside her in response, driving out a moan.</p><p>“On your knees,” Mike murmurs against the curves of her flesh. </p><p>Lori does as he asks, waiting on her hands and knees obediently for his touch.</p><p>“Come on, Mike, fuck me already.”</p><p>“I will,” Mike tells her, “but you gotta do something for me.” Kneeling behind her, he lines his cock up at her wet entrance, teasing her with the tip.</p><p>“Anything,” she says, expecting a selfish request.</p><p>“Suck Tim’s cock,” he instructs her. “Suck him off while I fuck you.”</p><p>Tim crawls up in front of her, kneels in front of her face. He waits for Lori to make the move before touching her.</p><p>“Go on, baby,” Mike encourages. </p><p>Lori’s hands slide up Tim’s thighs. She draws her tongue up across his balls and down his shaft, putting on a show for Mike, who she knows is watching everything behind her.</p><p>“Yes,” Tim grunts when Lori puts her mouth on him, starts taking him deeper in her mouth. When she stretches her lips wider, really takes him down, Mike pushes his cock inside her pussy.</p><p>Seeing his wife like this gets Mike going, and his dick throbs inside her. He pulls out slowly, thrusting back in shallowly as she laps at Tim’s cock. When she makes a particularly talented swipe of her tongue, when Mike sees Tim shudder, Mike rewards her with more. He teases her repeatedly, pressing inside her with unmetered thrusts, only giving her a little bit of what she needs. She’s so wet, MIke’s cock sliding in easily, but Mike hesitates to give her what he knows she wants.</p><p>“Let him fuck your face,” Mike asks her. “Let me see it.” </p><p>Lori’s jaw goes slack and Tim’s dick twitches, heavy and warm on her tongue. Her hands go flat on the bed representing her surrender, and Tim gathers her strawberry-blonde hair in his hands. He works his cock into her mouth, hard, harder still, using her hair as leverage. He pumps his hips, thrusting deeper, using Lori’s mouth like Mike wants him to.</p><p>“That’s it, baby,” Mike encourages, matching the force of Tim’s thrusts. “You’re doing so good for him, for us. Look at you,” he breathes, her pussy tight around his dick. “Want this so bad, don’t you? Both of us fucking you like this?”</p><p>Mike can’t resist reaching down and grabbing her ass, pulling her back hard onto his dick. “If you want to come, you better make him come first,” Mike tells her, like it’s a challenge - or a threat.</p><p>Tim slows down, lets Lori take over again. She goes at him desperately, licking and sucking and trying everything she can to make him come.</p><p>Tim’s eyes glint and Mike leans forward, pressing himself all the way inside Lori, leaning over her body to share a filthy kiss with Tim.</p><p>Tim comes with Mike’s tongue in his mouth and Lori’s tongue on his cock, come shooting down her throat and dribbling over her lips.</p><p>It’s exactly what Mike asked for, so he gives Lori what he promised - gripping her hips, he fucks her wildly until she mewls in sheer bliss and Mike can feel her dripping pussy contract around his cock in orgasm. </p><p>Mike pulls out and flips her over. He kisses the taste of Tim’s come from her mouth before settling between them. He doesn’t finish himself off; there’ll be time for that later. They have all night. </p><p>All three of them cuddle in the middle of the bed, sharing hits, sharing kisses, sharing each other.</p><p>The memory of the night seems to exist within a fantastic haze, a night so mind-blowing Tim later wonders if he dreamt it.</p><p>*</p><p>A month later, Mike goes to the VA hospital in Prescott for an operation on his shoulder and spends two weeks in back school. It’s an aggravation of the same injury that kept him from serving alongside Tim in Desert Storm.</p><p>Tim keeps Lori company in her husband’s absence. Without Mike, they both get lonely.</p><p>A few days after Mike’s surgery, Lori appears in Tim’s doorway. She’s got a hand on her neck, like she’s sore. She doesn’t say anything at first. </p><p>“You okay?” Tim asks her, sitting up. He hadn’t really fallen asleep yet.</p><p>“I’m fine. Just… don’t want to sleep alone.”</p><p>Tim thinks it over. He and Lori have never done anything without Mike involved, too, but Mike had never really seemed against it. He’d want Tim to take care of her.</p><p>Tim’s not going to invite himself, though, so he waits for Lori to ask.</p><p>“Will you sleep in our room tonight?”</p><p>“Sure,” he agrees, maybe too quickly, and grabs a pillow. He follows her to their bedroom, where they each take a side of the bed, Tim in Mike’s usual spot. </p><p>Tim keeps his body to himself. Lori is the one who crosses the invisible threshold, slinking up to Tim and aligning her body at his side. She rests her head on his chest. He shifts a little so he can bring an arm around her shoulders, settling in. It’s nice, albeit a little unusual for them. Tim tucks his head against hers anyway and they sleep.</p><p>*</p><p>The next night Tim stays up late with Lori. Lori casually invites him inside as they pass her bedroom. Can it hurt, keeping her company like this?</p><p>Lori’s already in her pajamas so Tim shrugs his jeans off, leaving his plaid boxers on, and considers taking off his shirt. He sleeps naked most of the time anyway so he goes ahead and strips the shirt off too, foregoing modesty.</p><p>Tim lifts up the sheets and takes his place underneath, leaving room for Lori. She slides close with no hesitation. They lie like that for a while, chests pressed together, Tim idly playing with her hair.</p><p>Lori traces her thin fingertips across Tim’s muscular chest. Her fingers dance lower, and dangerously lower still, until they’re slipping below his navel.</p><p>With a lump in his throat, Tim stops her hand. Maybe it’s innocent and she doesn’t know she’s playing with fire (he should’ve known better when it comes to Lori).</p><p>“Careful,” he warns her. He feels her smile against his chest. </p><p>“Why’s that?”</p><p>“Because I’m a red-blooded male and I’m about to have a very natural reaction.”</p><p>Lori dips her hand lower anyway. Her fingers tease at first, then she slips her hand further down, running her fingers over the line of Tim’s dick through the fabric of his boxers. He’s starting to fill to hardness, his cock getting harder the closer she gets. His dick twitches.</p><p>Tim repays the touch, hands moving from Lori’s hip up to her breast. As his breath mingles with Lori’s, his touch gets bolder. </p><p>“Mike’s right - you’re so polite,” she comments playfully. “He doesn’t own me.”</p><p>Tim doesn’t need Mike’s explicit permission, but it would make him feel better. Mike is laid up in the hospital and Tim is in bed with his wife.</p><p>Tim’s hand slips over her panties. He rubs her over the dainty fabric and teases the nub of her clit with his finger until she’s rutting against his hand, pushing up and begging for more.</p><p>Tim presses his fingers inside, one probing, then another. Lori’s so wet already, his fingers sliding inside easily. He fingers her clit, watching the way her body quakes when he moves just so. Lori grinds against his hand, and he slides his fingers in deeper, works them faster. He scissors them inside her, watching in satisfaction when she writhes on his hand.</p><p>“You’re going to ruin these,” Tim comments. “You’re so wet.”</p><p>Lori grabs a condom from the bedside table and puts it in Tim’s hands. She’s yanking his boxers down his hips before he can say anything, and he gives in completely. His own hands are at Lori’s thighs, caressing the skin before slipping the underwear away. <i>They’re soaked</i>, he thinks, distracted.</p><p>Lori parts her legs, giving Tim room to work his fingers inside her again, this time at a better angle. He pumps his fingers until she’s arching off the bed.</p><p>“<i>Pleasepleaseplease</i>,” she moans, although Tim doesn’t think she knows what she’s saying. Oh, she’s asking so nicely. Her cunt is fucking dripping. Tim’s fingers are slick, and he knows his cock will have no problem slipping into her tight pussy. She’s fucking waiting, quivering, nails digging into Tim’s pale skin.</p><p>Tim bears down and lines everything up, feels the tip of his dick pressing slickly against the folds of her entrance. He teases her for just a moment but then she parts her knees and opens and he just thrusts inside, the slick wet heat of her insides surrounding his cock.</p><p>Tim can feel himself ache inside her, balls tightening. She’s warm and wet and wonderful. He suppresses his grunts of pleasure. Lori’s still a babe, even after giving birth last year, just a few pounds heavier in all the right places.</p><p>Tim stuffs his hand in Lori’s mouth to stifle her wails, which seem to build with every thrust.</p><p>She bends her knee, beckoning Tim closer and urging him deeper, holding his body to hers.</p><p>Tim lowers his mouth to her breast, teeth grazing her nipple. He puts his mouth everywhere but on hers, mouthing over the curve of her collarbone, her neck, the tips of her ears. </p><p>They exchange no other words, soft sighs underscoring the movement of their bodies.</p><p>Tim grips her hips and buries himself deep, coming with a shudder that wracks his body, stars in his eyes. It takes him a moment to catch his breath, but he disposes of the condom after rolling away from her.</p><p>Tim is loose-limbed and pliant and sinks back into place by Lori easily, winding an arm around her waist and gathering her naked body to his for sleep.</p><p>Tim untangles himself from Lori in the morning before she wakes. Better not to dwell on the events of last night.</p><p>* </p><p>Lori calls Tim to her bedroom one afternoon, placing a disposable camera into his hands. </p><p>“What’s this?”</p><p>“A little present for Mike when he gets home,” she winks. Tim starts to protest, but she holds her hand up. “Somebody’s gotta be the photographer.”</p><p>Tim admits Lori looks cute in her red bikini top and short denim shorts. He hasn’t seen that one before - <i>she’s got more bathing suits than books</i>, he comments in his head.</p><p>She starts posing suggestively.<i> No way this is the first time she’s done this,</i> he thinks to himself.</p><p>Lori stands in a ray of sunlight that strikes the desk, letting the light bathe her body. Unabashedly, Lori unties the top of her bikini and tosses it away. It must not be a foreign move - <i>she’s got no tan lines</i>, Tim notices offhand as she looks into the camera.</p><p>“What do you think?” Lori asks. “How do the pictures look?”</p><p>“One sec,” Tim says, stepping into her space, and he reaches up and tugs her ponytail loose, causing her hair to fall down over her naked shoulders. He swallows. “Much better.”</p><p>*</p><p>Tim and Lori only hook up one more time while Mike’s out of the house. Mostly they just sleep next to each other in the same bed. They’re keeping each other a little company, that’s all.</p><p>That is, until Lori blows Tim after putting Kayla to bed one night. He’s sitting on their sofa playing Donkey Kong, and she gets on her knees in front of him and sucks him off while he’s still playing the video game.</p><p>It’s the kind of dirty thing Tim remembers Mike telling him about when they were in the Army, the sort of titillating story he’d use to get him interested in a mutual masturbation session in the barracks. He thought Mike was good storyteller back then, but now he suspects more of it was true than he believed at the time.</p><p>Tim keeps playing Donkey Kong, his focus and skill failing as Lori takes him down further. The upbeat music of the game is a bizarre soundtrack to the scene. She sucks him off until he drops the Nintendo controller and slides a hand into her hair, urging her mouth to take him deeper.</p><p>“Shit,” Tim swears, coming in Lori’s mouth, seed spilling over her wicked tongue.</p><p>Lori zips him back up with a wink, and it’s like it never happened.</p><p>*</p><p>Lori approaches Tim on one of the last nights before the end of Mike’s prescribed two-week hospital stay. They’ve had a couple of beers and Tim’s about to hit the hay when Lori corners him, walking him backward until his back hits the kitchen counter.</p><p>She leans up for a kiss, but Tim’s heart just isn’t into it. He kisses back but Lori can tell something is weighing on his mind. </p><p>“What’s the matter?”</p><p>Tim shrugs. “Missing Mike, that’s all.”</p><p>Lori smiles like she’s relieved. “Are you going to pick him up from the VA on Friday?”</p><p>“Yeah, I thought I would, if you don’t mind.”</p><p>Prescott is a two-hour drive east of Kingman, only a small jaunt for Tim. Tim knows Lori won’t be be interested in the drive, especially not with Kayla in tow.</p><p>Lori kisses Tim’s cheek. “He’ll be pleased to see you.” She tries to pat his shoulder reassuringly.</p><p>Tim sips his beer. “I hope.”</p><p>*</p><p>At the end of the week, Tim drives Mike’s Jeep out to Prescott to pick him up from the VA hospital. Tim barely slows the Jeep down at the front of the building where Mike is already waiting outside. He seems desperate to get away.</p><p>Instead of going through Seligman, Tim drives south through Skull Valley. Tim pulls the Jeep over in an abandoned town called Nothing, stopping the car underneath a sign.</p><p>“So…” Tim starts.</p><p>Mike’s still pretty quiet.</p><p>“You’re acting like your cat just died,” Tim continues, “which, by the way they’re fine - instead of happy that you’re busting loose from that shithole. What gives?”</p><p>Mike shrugs. “Just tired.”</p><p>“They work you pretty hard in there?”</p><p>Mike nods, although the VA wasn’t known for good healthcare.</p><p>“They give you something?”</p><p>Mike shakes his head no. “Well, Flexeril for my back, but I have it all here.” He shakes a pill bottle in his pants pocket. “Best to save that one for the night.”</p><p>“Are you all right?”</p><p>Mike waits a beat. “I feel old, Tim,” and he sounds tired at twenty-six. </p><p>When he gets home from the VA, Mike’s sadness persists, so both Lori and Tim try to learn how to assist with Mike’s physical therapy. Lori’s less patient and misses the intricacies, so Tim winds up being better at the PT. He’s a natural, hands moving over the planes of Mike’s skin, kneading muscle, trying to banish every pain and help him to regain motion. Lori’s jealous of Tim’s magic hands, the way he seems to have an effect on Mike in a way she can’t. She loses interest in helping after that, appearing to have her hands full with the baby. </p><p>Tim tries to pick up the slack for both of them. It’s exhausting. Tim cares for Mike and Lori and Kayla, but there’s something about this that doesn’t satisfy him in the same way it used to. Besides, with one kid around - let alone two - there had been less opportunity for Tim and Mike to sneak off and even fewer opportunities for all three of them.</p><p>Mike fights depression as he recovers, too sad for sex, and Tim is more likely to spend an afternoon with him on the couch, hands in his shaggy hair, instead of fishing or fucking. He sleeps a lot more than he used to.</p><p>Mike doesn’t feel like going much of anywhere, but his doctor at the VA prescribes regular walks for his back. Mike had tried to stay rested but his doctor thinks his inactivity isn’t actually saving that much stress on his body.</p><p>The desert is beautiful at night, an alien landscape silhouetted by moonlight, and Tim joins Mike on his prescribed walks, welcoming the chance to get away from the world with his friend.</p><p>Tim brings up his plan, that infernal plan, on one of their walks. He’d mentioned it before on a road trip as they were driving through Oklahoma, a conversation that makes Mike sick to remember.</p><p>“I’m cooking up something big. Bigger than me and you. It’s time for the Murrah plan.”</p><p>“No fuckin’ way.”</p><p>“You gotta come with me to Kansas. I need you to be my partner.”</p><p>“Are you nuts, Tim?”</p><p>“If you can’t do that, then give me a ride to the desert after it happens.”</p><p>“And what’s in the desert?”</p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>“I don’t know what you want, man, I never have,” Mike admits.</p><p>Tim remembers a conversation he shared with Mike’s father on one of their camping trips, before Kayla, before Mrs. Lori Fortier, when Paul had told Tim that he was a good match for his son. The reality of it seemed so close, so tangible, like it might not be a dream. It’s all the stuff Tim won’t let himself want. Tim’s tried, but his idea of love doesn’t involve three people.</p><p>“I just… needed someone I could trust.”</p><p>“Tim… you had your chance,” Mike says eventually.</p><p>“Is that what you think?”</p><p>“Yes. It is,” Mike answers honestly. “What about all that shit with the storage locker? The mysterious phone calls? The fake names? Helping you transport weapons across state lines?”</p><p>Tim never had a fair, fighting chance. Mike’s careless statement sets him off. “I don’t want to talk about this,” he says, stubbing up. Tim decides that’s the end of the conversation and starts to storm off.</p><p>“Tim. Tim!” Mike stalks after his friend. “What is this really about, man? Tell me what you need. But you don’t have to do whatever it is you’re thinking about doing.”</p><p>“I’m hardly going to bomb a federal building because somebody doesn’t love me back,” Tim scoffs, and Mike realizes what he’s admitted to, more shaken by the second half of his statement than the first. Love isn’t a term they bandy about. “What am I, Mike? Your live-in lover? Uncle Tim? Your boy toy? How long can I live with my boyfriend and my boyfriend’s wife and kid? How am I supposed to fit into this domesticated little scene?” Tim asks, visibly upset, saying the word ‘domesticated’ like it tastes foul. “Two’s company and three’s a crowd.”</p><p>“You’re not crowding us,” Mike insists, but when he looks in Tim’s eyes he doesn’t like what he sees. There’s a distance that’s been building between them and tonight it seems more vast than ever.</p><p>“I know you guys think I’m better than that, or whatever,” Tim says, making an uncharacteristically revealing statement. “That I don’t need anybody.” Tim swallows and looks away.</p><p>They’re back in front of the Jeep now. Mike catches the back of Tim’s flannel and presses him up against the hood.</p><p>Mike kisses Tim, but he doesn’t move. His kiss lands on the side of his mouth. </p><p>Tim’s hands rest on Mike’s chest in a pose that would be defensive if there was any energy behind it. Tim’s demeanor suggests that he’s defeated. Tim sags into his arms.</p><p>Mike tries another kiss. Tim’s mouth meets his this time, but his kiss is slow and sorrowful and Mike’s not sure what to make of it. He doesn’t know it yet, but this kiss will be the last one.</p><p>“Let’s go home.”</p><p>*</p><p>Another afternoon, another walk in the valley.</p><p>Lately Mike’s been talking about baby-sitting for his niece, and Tim can’t stand the idea of another kid in the house. He loves children, and Mike really is a good father, but he’s not the strictest disciplinarian. </p><p>Tim decides that leaving is for the best. </p><p>“I’ve got to clear my head, Mike.”</p><p>“The desert is the perfect place for that.”</p><p>“That’s not what I mean. I’m leaving.”</p><p>“What are you talking about?”</p><p>“I’m not <i>leaving</i> leaving. Just getting out of the house.”</p><p>“What if I want you around?”</p><p>“It’s not my scene.”</p><p>“You’re great with the kids; you’re great with Kayla.”</p><p>“But they’re not mine.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Mike doesn’t know how to convince him that his presence is a positive one.</p><p>“You ever think about life if we’d gone off together on the road?”</p><p>Tim brings it up more than he probably realizes.</p><p>“I can’t leave my wife to go on the road with you,” Mike tells him again. “Please stop making me the bad guy because I won’t abandon my wife and kid,” Mike requests.</p><p>Tim gazes into the distance. “Suit yourself.”</p><p>“Do you have a place to go?”</p><p>“I’ll get a motel room somewhere in Kingman.”</p><p>“I hate that you’re gonna do that when we have an empty room right here.”</p><p>“It’s life,” Tim shrugs.</p><p>“Whatever.”</p><p>“Look, Mike, it’s better that I’m not at your place for a while, okay?”</p><p>Mike’s not sure what to say to him about that. At least today Tim seems less angry than he’s been lately. “Say goodbye to Kayla before you go, at least, will you?”</p><p>“Of course,” comes Tim’s quiet answer, like it’s not even a question. Kayla’s already two years old, and has grown quite attached to Tim.</p><p>Maybe life has finally put too many miles between Tim and Mike.</p><p>*</p><p>Mike stops by Tim’s room at the Hilltop Motel for a drink, pausing at the vending machine to buy a Snickers bar.</p><p>Mike holds up the candy when Tim opens the door.</p><p>“Resorting to bribes now, Fortier?”</p><p>Tim cracks a grin and steps out of the way.</p><p>“How’s it going?”</p><p>“Not bad. Help yourself.” He jerks his chin toward a large untouched handle of vodka on the dresser.</p><p>Mike goes to lift the bottle, his arm causing a twinge of pain that Tim spies on his face immediately. He reaches for Mike’s arm as he so often does, trying to be helpful and soothe his discomfort.</p><p>Mike immediately realizes his mistake in letting Tim touch him, but his hand is already creeping up Mike’s side to massage the muscle. That’s when Tim feels it - the unmistakeable bulge of the shoulder holster Mike is wearing underneath his shirt.</p><p>It’s not his gun that’s the problem. It’s that Mike thinks whatever is going on is serious enough to carry a concealed a weapon and not tell him about it. Mike owns guns, but he usually leaves them locked up in the cabinet. It’s out of the norm for him to have it on him unless they were going shooting that day.</p><p>Mike can feel Tim pressing his fingers along the line of the strap just to be sure that’s what it is. His fingers dig into the skin beside it, applying pressure but not enough to cause pain.</p><p>“Are you fucking serious?” Tim hisses the words, and for the first time, Mike is afraid of what he might do. Mike can’t answer, because he knows that Tim already sees this as a betrayal.</p><p>Tim shoves Mike’s arm, hard, and Mike isn’t prepared for the way his injured shoulder jerks painfully. It hurts. Tim knows better - for him, it’s downright mean.</p><p>“I knew things between us were going downhill. I didn’t realize they were bad enough you needed to be armed.”</p><p>“Tim —”</p><p>“Do you keep a pistol next to the box of condoms?” Tim’s rage is a bitter sting. “Or a knife so you can stab me in the back?”</p><p>“You’re overreacting —”</p><p>Tim’s eyes are dark and stormy.</p><p>“Tim, can we talk?”</p><p>“I used to think we could talk about anything.” Tim’s face falls. “I don’t like fighting with you,” he says stubbornly.</p><p>“You could have fooled me!”</p><p>Tim’s up off the bed and angrily pacing the small room in an instant. He snatches his car keys from the top of the TV set. “I’m outta here.” He leaves Mike alone in his own motel room.</p><p>*</p><p>Tim announces his plans to hit the road shortly after that visit, so Mike goes to see him in the motel one more time though no apologies have passed between them. He brings back a few books he’d borrowed, as good a reason as any.</p><p>Tim unlocks the door and Mike sinks down onto one of the double beds while Tim finishes brushing his teeth in the bathroom.</p><p>Tim doesn’t own much, but what he does possess is scattered neatly around the motel room - a few books on the dresser by the phone, leftover Taco Bell on the desk. Tucked into one of the books is a photo of Tim kissing Mike’s stubbled cheek, his own rosy cheeks flushed with sunburn. Mike racks his brain for the memory, but realizes Tim’s been on too many family trips with him for Mike to pinpoint exactly which one this is from.</p><p>Mike flips it over and borrows the motel pen to write “I ♥️ YOU, you fucking idiot —Mike” on the back of the photograph. It’s stupid, but he wants him to know. Tim might not even see the note, but he tucks it back into the weathered copy of <i>The Turner Diaries</i> anyway.</p><p>No matter what shit they’re going through now, there is something that will always tie the two of them together.</p><p>Mike hopes he’ll find the photo later and smile.</p><p>Tim comes back out and sits on the other bed across from Mike, looking lost in thought, even-tempered, at least.</p><p>“You okay?” Mike asks. “You seem…. I don’t know.”</p><p>“There’s a lot on my mind,” Tim answers quixotically, offering no other explanation.</p><p>*</p><p>Two weeks later, on April 19, 1995, Mike is playing video games with a friend. When they turn off the console, breaking news on CNN plays on the TV set. The words “Oklahoma City bombing” repeat on every channel.</p><p>Mike freezes in shock at the destruction he sees on the news, his mind going immediately to Tim and his plan. His heart drops to the bottom of his stomach.</p><p>
  <i>Oh my God, he did it.</i>
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